HMS Portland and her Merlin helicopter were quickly on the case (Image: PA)
Two Russian submarines were chased by a Royal Navy warship in the North Sea as the UK continues to provide training to the Ukrainian military.
British submarine hunter HMS Portland watched the two ships after they sailed separately northwest of Bergen, Norway.
The cruise missile submarine Severodvinsk and Akula-class attack submarine Vepr were tracked as they traveled south along the Norwegian coast from the Arctic.
Portland and her specialist Merlin helicopter – both equipped with cutting-edge sonars, sensors and torpedoes – quickly responded to the unwelcome visitors.
The P8 Poseidon, one of the RAF’s new long-range maritime patrol aircraft, also works to track submarines.
Royal Navy sailors are currently training personnel from the Ukrainian Navy to operate two Sandown-class minesweepers, which will be sold to Ukraine.
The Russian cruise missile submarine Severodvinsk has surfaced northwest of Bergen, Norway (Image: SWNS)
Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Volodymyr Khavrilov met UK Armed Forces Secretary James Heapy and parliamentarians in London before visiting soldiers and sailors training in Scotland.
Ministers spoke to trainees and instructors from the Royal Navy, watching them practice key skills at sea, such as weapons training and damage control, as they learn to operate the vessels’ machinery.
Mr Heappey said: “The intensity with which Ukrainian soldiers and sailors train is something to behold.
“They’re working hard on troops they know will be fighting a war in just a few short weeks.
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“Delivering training that matches this intensity and focus is not easy.
“The Royal Navy and British Army are working long hours and drawing on all their operational experience to ensure that their new Ukrainian friends are sent into battle with the best chance of victory.”
The Sandown-class minesweepers, which were introduced into the Royal Navy in the late 1980s, specialize in finding and neutralizing mines in deep water.
The program is part of the training provided by 1,000 UK military personnel at military sites across the country, aimed at preparing volunteer recruits with skills for frontline combat.
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